Thread cutter and tier.



No. 723,627. T'ATENTED MAR. 24,1903.

J. B. UNDERWOOD.

THREAD CUTTER AND TIER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1902.

I0 MODEL.

WITNESSES /9 WW 7: I J3 U/NI/EA/TOH i nlerwoad, M. A BY V60 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH B. UNDERWOOD, OF FAYETTEVIIJLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

THREAD CUTTER AND TIER EPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,6 7, a March 19034 Application filed July 14, I902. $erial No. 115.554. (No modelfi and knot-tying implement more especially dc signed to tie spool er's knots.

My invention seeks to provide a simple and inexpensive device which can be conven ien-tly supported on that hand which the operator usually employs to hold the spool from rota tion to efiect the stopping thereof while tying the broken ends of the thread which is being wound thereon; and it is especially designed to permit the operator quickly and properly making the knot with a minimum waste of the thread and for cutting off the waste ends without requiring the removal of the hand from the bobbin during the interim in which the stopping thereof is necessary.

In its generic nature myinvention comprehends a body composed of a pair of opposing plier-shaped jaws having means for support;-

ing the device from the little 'finger of the hand used by the operator for pressing on the bobbin to stop its motion and its jaw members arranged to grip the ends to be tied, to cut off waste portions. thereof prior toforming the knot, and for forming the knot at the trimmed portion of the said end in a uniform and expeditious manner.

In its more subordinate features my invention consists in certain novel details of construction and peculiarcombination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully explained, and specifically pointed out'in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view illustrating the manner in which my invention is usually carried by the operator. Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the manner in which it is 'held when the two threads are looped over the upper ends'of the plier-jaws, which is the first position of the threads during the operation of tying the knot. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the second position of the threads during the tying operation and the waste portions cut from the ends to be tied. Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the third and final position of the threads during the operation of tying the knot. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the complete device. Fig. 6 is a detail cross-section on the line 66 of Fig. 7; Fig. 7 is a front view of the upper end of the grip-jaws partly open. Fig. 8 is a similar view thereof, the jaws being closed. Fig. 9 is a view of the upper end of the plier-jaws and illustrates a slightly-modified form of myinvention. Fig. '10 is a view illust ating a broken thread as tied and trimmed by my knotting and cutting device. Figsll and-12 are detail views hereinafter referred to.

In its practical-construction my combined trimming-and tying device in its general contour has the appearance of an ordinary pair of pliers. In the drawings I have illustrated the opposing jaws A 13 provided with forked bearing portions a b at the lower end to seat upon the cross-pins a b in the crossed handle members B A, which have the usual scissors joint or pivot O and have their upper bifurcated ends 1 l held to straddle the jaws A B and their extremities a b pivotally joined to the jaws A B, as shown.

which terminates in a smooth point to facilitate pulling off the knot-loop made in the manner presently described and for drawing taut the bight or loop at a point near the discharge end of the said jaws, whereby to provide for forming the knot at the extreme ends of the broken thread portions.

In the preferred construction one of the jaws A has a laterally projecting stud 5, which is formed with a sharp cutting edge 5, and the opposing jaw B has a socket 5 to receive the stud 5 when the two jaws are closed to tightly grip the thread in the manner presently explained.

The front edges of the opposing faces of the gripping-jaws are cut out or beveled, as indicated by-6 6 in Figs. 6 and 7, to prevent that part of the threads brought over the other portion from being gripped by the jaws at a point below the cutter or stud member 5 during the operation of carrying the ends as of the threads between the upper ends of the jaws to the position indicated in Fig. 3.

The manner in which my invention is used will be readily understood by referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, which illustrate the several positions of the threads during the operation of making the knot. The

broken ends of the thread are gathered and held between the thumb and forefinger of the hand that supports the device, (see Fig. 2,) and the double thread is then looped over the edge of the jaw A and over the rear face of the jaws A and B, brought down over the edge of the jaws B and then over the front of the two jaws and over that portion of the threads that extend from the thumb and forefinger to the edge of the jaw A, passed over thethumb, and then gripped between the fingers, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The loose thread ends are then carried up with the right hand between the upper ends of the jaws A and B and clamped therebetween by pressing the handles A and B together, it being understood that the said handles A and B are normally spread by the spring D. (See Fig. 5.) After the ends 00 are carried between the jaws A and B the operator pulls said ends down between the jaws over the cutting edge of the stud 5, and thereby cuts off the loose ends close up to that portion of the threads which is securely clamped between that portion of the jaws adjacent the cutter or stud 5. The separated or waste portion of the thread is then cast into a receiver or other place, and to facilitate the removal of the said waste portion the grip-faces of the jaws A and B are concaved, as indicated'by a, on that side adjacent the cutting portion of the stud 5, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, said concaved portions preventing the jaws from clamping the thread at a point beyond the cutter.

It will thus be seen that the cutting action occurs-that is, the waste end of the thread is out oifbefore the knot is tied. This differs from the ordinary hand tying operation, in which the waste ends are broken off after the knot is tied. It should be stated that by cutting off the waste ends before tying several advantageous results are obtained over the hand tying method, for the reason that the knot is tied in a uniform manner and all danger of injuring the knot or loosening the same, as frequently occurs by breaking oif the thread ends after the knot is tied, is avoided, and it also provides for forming the knot ortie close up to the extreme ends of the two thread members.

After the thread ends are clamped and cut in the manner described the two thread strands are pulled upward in the direction shown in Fig. 4, the jaws during this operation securely gripping the extreme ends of the two strands, and by reason of the taper and beak shape of the upperends of the jaws A and B the loop or bight will be drawn oif said jaws and closed to form a tight and compact knot, which is finishedthat is, drawn to its tightest conditionjust as the threads leave the beak end of the jaws A and B, and when thus pulled off the said jaw-beaks the handles A B are permitted to open to release the extreme ends of the thread, and thereby leave the said end tied with a knot securely made near the extreme ends of the two thread portions, as shown in Fig. 10.

While the construction of my invention hereinbefore described is a preferred one, I desire it understood the same may be modifled or changed in its details without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example, instead of forming the cutting device of a lateral stud 5, arranged to project into a socket, the rear face of meet the jaws may carry a cutter-blade 10, (see Fig. 9,) arranged to make a shear out against the opposing jaw edge and operate to cut off the extremities of the threads as the jaws close thereagainst to grip the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character stated, comprising a plier-shaped body, whose jaws are made tapering, a cutter projected transversely from one of the jaws, said jaws at a point below the cutter having beveled opposing edges and that portion of the jaw above the cutter being provided with opposing gripping-surfaces, for the purposes described.

2. In a device as described, the combination of the jaws A and B pivotally joined and having handle portions connected therewith, each jaw being tapered upwardly and termimating in an outwardly-projecting beak, a stud projected laterally from one of thejaws, the other jaw having a socket to' receive said stud, said stud having a cutting edge, the jaws having opposite gripping-surfaces at a point above the said stud, the outer edges of said surfaces having ooncaved portions a all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

JOSEPH B. UNDERWOOD.

Witnesses:

W. L. HoL'r, D. SHAW. 

